Other than John Phillips, Chris Garrison, and maybe Tanner Karafa, will we miss ANY of these guys? I expect Elijah Robinson to be productive this year after sitting out last year, but I just don't see a whole lot of contribution here from the 2015 recruiting class.

Feminism is Eve eats all the apples, gives God the middle finger when He asks her about it, and has the snake present Adam with a restraining order, ordering him to stay 500 yards away while still being forced to provide Eve food, clothing, and shelter.

bryce sebastian DB? i thought he was going to play sherm alston roleaj up to 250 (was listed 245 last year)cj lewis up to 225 (was 210 last year)yeargin confirmed inthe new RS rule really helped uswe're as deep as i can remember at LB but lack experience

bryce sebastian DB? i thought he was going to play sherm alston roleaj up to 250 (was listed 245 last year)cj lewis up to 225 (was 210 last year)yeargin confirmed inthe new RS rule really helped uswe're as deep as i can remember at LB but lack experience

He was listed at WR in the signing day press release and there hasn't been an attrition at CB since then. Maybe they didn't like what they saw from the young DBs in the spring and may need him at nickle this season?

Boston College’s AJ Dillon: ‘I’m ready to take college football by storm’

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – In Boston College’s fifth game of 2018, star tailback AJ Dillon took what his position coach refers to as a “water run.” BC running backs coach Brian White invented the dismissive term for runs that lack intention, as Dillon flowed horizontally behind the line of scrimmage and admits he “was just kind of going with the blockers.”

Instead of planting his foot and going vertically to grind out three yards, Dillon went with the flow. Along the wave, a player got blocked into his ankle and a season of Heisman hopes and All-America promise got rolled under by a high-ankle sprain.

The moment changed everything for Dillon, as he missed two games, hobbled through five others and encapsulated why he looks back with “animosity” at his sophomore season.

To call Dillon’s sophomore season a disappointment would be an overstatement, as he finished with 1,108 yards, scored 11 touchdowns and earned a first-team All-ACC selection. But it clearly fell below expectations, as he was the ACC Preseason Player of the Year and talked openly about a Heisman Trophy and a corresponding statue to flank Doug Flutie’s on BC’s campus.

Muddling through a season with a significant injury altered Dillon’s perspective, which manifested itself with a message on his Instagram page this offseason: “BE PHENOMENAL OR BE FORGOTTEN.”

“I look back on it now, and I’m grateful for it,” Dillon said. “I think because I kind of needed that fire. I was kind of feeling myself, you know, coming off freshman year and getting all the awards.”

A forgettable season ended in the most fitting way – with BC’s First Responder Bowl against Boise State canceled due to inclement weather. Dillon was finally healthy and ran for an early touchdown, statistics that got washed out with the game. From his freshman to sophomore year, Dillon’s yards per carry dipped from 5.3 to 4.9 and overall rushing yards fell by 440. The aura of invincibility that surrounded him during the later part of 2017 – 272 yards against Louisville and three touchdowns against Syracuse – faded away.

The conga line of national media coming through Boston to interview Dillon and tell his compelling backstory disappeared this summer, as he did just one interview.

Dillon plans to be sure no one forgets about him this season: “I'm ready to take college football by storm.”

Dillon’s Instagram inspiration came via motivational speaker Eric Thomas, who also offered a piece of insight that’s guided Dillon heading into his junior year: “The lion doesn’t just catch the gazelle, they appreciate the hunt.”

White saw Dillon’s sophomore setbacks play out a generation earlier. He coached Ron Dayne as an assistant at Wisconsin in the late 1990s when his statistics dipped significantly from his freshman to sophomore year – from 6.5 yards per carry to 5.5.

White saw the same parallel themes play out from Dayne in 1997 more than two decades later. Both Dillon and Dayne’s early success emboldened them with a belief that it would simply happen again. Neither were non-compliant, but they didn’t put in the extra work. “They just didn't have the same thirst for doing more, because I just think they believed that it was just going to happen,” White said. “And consequently, the same thing happened to Ron that happened to AJ. You take a lazy rep, you get hurt.”

Dayne, of course, went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 1999 and set the NCAA career rushing record. Dillon has spent the seven months since BC’s canceled bowl attempting to recalibrate his career trajectory on a similar plane.

Dillon is in elite physical condition, trimming down to five percent body fat, with his muscles at a recent morning workout appearing as if they were chiseled out of granite. Dillon is a 6-foot, 251-pound back with a 39-inch vertical jump. To put that in perspective, he’d have been the seventh-highest jumper out of the more than 50 players at the most recent NBA draft combine.

As he’s gotten healthy and refined himself physically, Dillon has maintained what White says the BC coaches call “Eagle Eyes” in the program. He says it’s the look of Tiger Woods on Sunday at Augusta, an unwavering focus that waned occasionally the previous offseason. “The way he’s attacked his preparation both physically and mentally, the consistency and the thirst that I’ve seen that, quite honestly, was lacking last summer at this time,” White said. “Last year was not the year he expected to have or wanted to have, so I think he’s more than ready to prove that he’s an elite football player.”

What will be different in 2019? Dillon raved about new offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, who has brought a focus on explosive plays in head coach Steve Addazio’s tempo-based pro-style offense. That includes a more vertical element to the passing game for junior quarterback Anthony Brown, who appeared to take a leap this spring. BC’s tight-end room is one of the best in the country, as redshirt sophomore Hunter Long could be one of the sport’s breakout players. “If we can throw the ball to a different level than we have in the past and play complementary football,” Dillon said, “we’ll have one of the best offenses in college football.”

Bajakian came from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom he served as Jameis Winston’s quarterback coach and carries former Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter’s philosophy that explosive plays lead to more touchdown drives. Dillon is excited about wrinkles that include him lining up in the slot and catching more screen passes. “He’s got very good hands,” Bajakian said. “We’ve got to find ways to throw him the ball more. And just find different ways in the passing game to get him involved.”

The way teams will have to tackle Dillon will change, too. After he hurt his ankle in 2018, Dillon said teams focused in on tackling low. “Against Miami,” he said, “there’s literally plays where safeties are on their knees before they touch me.” Addazio said generally about teams going low on Dillon: “That guy takes hellacious hits. Everybody low-leg hunts him, it’s gross. No one will tackle him up top, so they’re all trying to take his knees out.”

Dillon couldn’t avoid those players last season because his ankle limited his ability to cut, plant and jump. Dillon’s hallmarks as a freshman were initiating and delivering contact, but he spent much of last season bracing for it.

In all likelihood, this will be Dillon’s last season at Boston College. He didn’t overtly say it, but the combination of his measurables and production would hint at him following the norm for the tailback position and leaving after three seasons.

After approaching last season with an air of inevitable success, Dillon has returned to relishing the hunt. Adjustments have been made, and he’s ready to make sure no one forgets about him again. “He’s absolutely the best running back in the country, as long as he stays healthy,” Addazio said. “Just watch this guy, he’s a freak.”

I expect Dillon and Brown to have huge years. Dillon will be up for the big awards and Brown will be one of the ACC passing leaders.BC football will outperform this year; People are going to be pleasantly surprised.

Feminism is Eve eats all the apples, gives God the middle finger when He asks her about it, and has the snake present Adam with a restraining order, ordering him to stay 500 yards away while still being forced to provide Eve food, clothing, and shelter.

hansen wrote:I expect Dillon and Brown to have huge years. Dillon will be up for the big awards and Brown will be one of the ACC passing leaders.BC football will outperform this year; People are going to be pleasantly surprised.

hansen wrote:I expect Dillon and Brown to have huge years. Dillon will be up for the big awards and Brown will be one of the ACC passing leaders.BC football will outperform this year; People are going to be pleasantly surprised.

From the article...1. It confirms what we all saw from Dillon. That he wasn't healthy. He was tentative. He couldn't avoid tacklers who went low.2. Dillon's vertical is crazy: "Dillon is a 6-foot, 251-pound back with a 39-inch vertical jump. To put that in perspective, he’d have been the seventh-highest jumper out of the more than 50 players at the most recent NBA draft combine."3. The piece about Bajakian focusing on throwing deep is refreshing. Dinks and dunks do not open up the run game. It actually plays right into a D who looking to load the box. It also requires a QB to squeeze the ball into tight windows (not an AB strong point). The deep ball, however, does open things a bit for Dillon. It also happens to play in nicely with an AB attribute (arm strength). It is one of those things that just seem so obvious. But, the big question will be whether Dazoo will ever permit it. I think his reticence comes from his time as an OLine coach (as deep throws require the OL to hold their blocks for longer).

bryce sebastian DB? i thought he was going to play sherm alston roleaj up to 250 (was listed 245 last year)cj lewis up to 225 (was 210 last year)yeargin confirmed inthe new RS rule really helped uswe're as deep as i can remember at LB but lack experience

Why is Dillon putting on additional weight? Makes no sense.

Yes, a 20-year-old who lifts every single day and has nutritionists designing his meals put on 5 pounds in a year. The mind reels.

bryce sebastian DB? i thought he was going to play sherm alston roleaj up to 250 (was listed 245 last year)cj lewis up to 225 (was 210 last year)yeargin confirmed inthe new RS rule really helped uswe're as deep as i can remember at LB but lack experience

Why is Dillon putting on additional weight? Makes no sense.

Yes, a 20-year-old who lifts every single day and has nutritionists designing his meals put on 5 pounds in a year. The mind reels.

bryce sebastian DB? i thought he was going to play sherm alston roleaj up to 250 (was listed 245 last year)cj lewis up to 225 (was 210 last year)yeargin confirmed inthe new RS rule really helped uswe're as deep as i can remember at LB but lack experience

Why is Dillon putting on additional weight? Makes no sense.

Yes, a 20-year-old who lifts every single day and has nutritionists designing his meals put on 5 pounds in a year. The mind reels.

250 lbs is a ton of weight on a RB.

Christian Okoye was 254lbs!!! and was a beast in video games I might add.

hansen wrote:BC football will outperform this year; People are going to be pleasantly surprised.

There, I said it.

I wish I could share your optimism but the fact is we were 7-6 last season with a more talented team. Where are we better this season?: RB & (hopefully) QB; TE probably even and then we are worse at every other position. Maybe the OC will make a difference but I doubt Daz would let him.

hansen wrote:BC football will outperform this year; People are going to be pleasantly surprised.

There, I said it.

I wish I could share your optimism but the fact is we were 7-6 last season with a more talented team. Where are we better this season?: RB & (hopefully) QB; TE probably even and then we are worse at every other position. Maybe the OC will make a difference but I doubt Daz would let him.

I don't think the team is quite as bad off as they were in 2015 when they just couldn't score a point against even a marginal team, but I am with Ortiz here. I think they may struggle to win even 6 games. That said, I still hope that Hansen is right and that I am wrong.

Feminism is Eve eats all the apples, gives God the middle finger when He asks her about it, and has the snake present Adam with a restraining order, ordering him to stay 500 yards away while still being forced to provide Eve food, clothing, and shelter.

bryce sebastian DB? i thought he was going to play sherm alston roleaj up to 250 (was listed 245 last year)cj lewis up to 225 (was 210 last year)yeargin confirmed inthe new RS rule really helped uswe're as deep as i can remember at LB but lack experience

Why is Dillon putting on additional weight? Makes no sense.

Yes, a 20-year-old who lifts every single day and has nutritionists designing his meals put on 5 pounds in a year. The mind reels.

250 lbs is a ton of weight on a RB.

On the Boston College website, in the media guide, in the program and in the scouting report, Dillon is listed at 250 pounds. But those documents do not reveal that merely five percent of that 250 pounds is body fat and that Dillon can hurdle defenders with a 39-inch vertical leap. The average vertical for National Basketball Association players is 28 inches.

I say this every year and I don't want to sound repetitive like Corners but... at BC you need 3 things to win games because we aren't going to be blowing out teams and we're going to be in a lot of tight games.

1. A good head coach. Daz = NO.2. A good quarterback. Still not sold at all on Brown. But prove me wrong. He shows it here and there but nowhere near the consistency needed to be explosive offensively.3. A good kicker to win the close games - Does this matter after 1 and 2 are questionable? What is our kicker situation this season? Are we good here?

Daz and Brown absolutely need to deliver or we're just going to see a rerun of Dillon running into 8- and 9-man fronts and struggling. And perhaps getting banged up again.

Supahfan99 wrote:I say this every year and I don't want to sound repetitive like Corners but... at BC you need 3 things to win games because we aren't going to be blowing out teams and we're going to be in a lot of tight games.

1. A good head coach. Daz = NO.2. A good quarterback. Still not sold at all on Brown. But prove me wrong. He shows it here and there but nowhere near the consistency needed to be explosive offensively.3. A good kicker to win the close games - Does this matter after 1 and 2 are questionable? What is our kicker situation this season? Are we good here?

Daz and Brown absolutely need to deliver or we're just going to see a rerun of Dillon running into 8- and 9-man fronts and struggling. And perhaps getting banged up again.

One of the only reasons for optimism is the new offensive coordinator. BC had a decent offense under Day so there is precedent for Daz not ruining an offense. But Anthony Brown disappointed last year and I don't have high expectations for him in 2019. He will need to keep it more on read options for the offense to be successful.

I still can't believe Scot Loeffler got a head coaching job. There were a few games last year that were 2015 Fitch-esque.

He was listed at WR in the signing day press release and there hasn't been an attrition at CB since then. Maybe they didn't like what they saw from the young DBs in the spring and may need him at nickle this season?

He was listed at WR in the signing day press release and there hasn't been an attrition at CB since then. Maybe they didn't like what they saw from the young DBs in the spring and may need him at nickle this season?